Colonel James Loftus Fowler was an American Marine who was the founder of the Marine Corps Marathon, an annual race since 1976 in Washington, D.C. He was a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The race, which now draws tens of thousands of athletes, was intended to promote goodwill for the military after the Vietnam War and serve as a United States Marine Corps recruiting tool. With no qualifying standards or monetary prizes, it gives participants a chance to qualify for the Boston Marathon, earning it the nickname "The People's Marathon."